December 13, 2017

India Government gets 100 applications from educational institutions for the World Class University Tag

Photo: The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar, at the 94th Annual Convocation of the University of Delhi, in New Delhi on November 18, 2017. Image provided by the Press Information Bureau, Government of India.

New Delhi — India Government had approved the enabling regulatory architecture for setting up or upgrading of 10 public and 10 private Institutions of Eminence so as to enable them to reach amongst top 100 of world institutions ranking. Accordingly, applications were invited, for which the last date was 12.12.2017. Overall 100 applications have been received.

Under Public Sector, 10 Central Universities, 25 State Universities, 6 Deemed to be Universities, 20 Institutions of National Importance and 6 Standalone Institutions have applied. Under Private Sector, 9 Private Universities and 16 Deemed to be Universities have applied in brownfield category and 8 Institutions have applied in greenfield category.

“Overwhelming response to the idea of Institutions of Eminence, which will become World Class Universities, is a validation of the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for improving the quality of Higher Education in India”, Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

“All lovers of education will welcome this development. This is how World Class Universities were built in various countries. The same thing will happen in India”, Javadekar said, adding that “the selection of Institutions of Eminence will not only improve the quality of education, but also propel competition in the entire education sector”.

The selection shall be made through challenge method mode by the Empowered Expert Committee constituted for the purpose. The selected 20 institutions shall be named as “Institutions of Eminence” which will have freedom to choose their own path to become world class institutions. These institutions shall be provided with greater autonomy viz. to admit foreign students up to 30% of admitted students; to recruit foreign faculty upto 25% of faculty strength; to offer online courses upto 20% of its programmes; to enter into academic collaboration with top 500 in the world ranking Institutions without permission of UGC; free to fix and charge fees from foreign students without restriction; flexibility of course structure in terms of number of credit hours and years to take a degree; and complete flexibility in fixing of curriculum and syllabus.

The scheme will enable Indian students to get world class education and research facilities within the country.

Among those who have applied from the public sector are seven Indian Institutes of Technology (Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Guwahati, Roorkee), Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jadhavpur University, Goa University, Panjab University and Mangalore University.

From the private sector, the O P Jindal Global University, Ashoka University, Manipal University and Amity University, among others, have applied for the tag.

A screening committee will go through the applications and select the institutions.

December 7, 2017

'We Must Be More Agile': How a Culture Shift is Powering Coke’s Innovation Agenda

Photo: The Headquarters building of The Coca-Cola Company is illuminated against the skyline of Atlanta as “Thank You” to the world in celebration of the company’s 125th anniversary. The visual display is the world’s largest single building illumination covering more than 210, 000 square feet. HO Photo Michael Pugh/Coca-Cola.

ATLANTA - Coca-Cola is speeding its transition to a total beverage company and has a renewed focus on innovation and growth, President and CEO James Quincey told more than 120 investors and financial analysts at the company’s global headquarters.

In Coke’s first major investor gathering since 2009, Quincey and other senior leaders explained how the company is expanding its consumer-centric product portfolio, quickly scaling wins from market to market, and embracing an experimental, test-and-learn approach.

“We must be more agile and get things to market quicker,” Quincey said. “We operate in 200-plus countries, so having a success in one country frankly doesn’t move the needle. The needle only really moves with a big success in more than one big country. So lifting and shifting the best and most successful ideas around the world is absolutely critical to creating more billion-dollar brands in a diverse portfolio.”

For example, the company will launch soy-based beverage brand AdeS - a top performer in Latin America - in Europe early next year. Similarly, Honest Tea and smartwater recently made the jump across the pond from the U.S. to the U.K.

Over the last few years, Coca-Cola has been returning ownership of its bottling operations to independent companies around the world. This newly refranchised system returns the company to its core focus on building and nurturing brands and empowers a network of 250 bottling partners to bring the “total beverage company” vision to life in the marketplace.

“We’re driving a culture change in the way we operate, the way we engage with the bottling system, and the way we go to market collectively,” Quincey said.

• Growth is not an objective… it’s a discipline’

Chief Growth Officer Francisco Crespo introduced on a new concept for Coca-Cola: the discipline of growth. “Growth is not an objective it’s a discipline,” he said. “When you practice that discipline, the outcome is growth.”

Taking a disciplined approach to growth includes building a portfolio of brands with what Crespo calls “quality leadership.” The end result: stronger profit margins than the competition.

“Rather than telling consumers what they should be drinking, we will humbly align our portfolio to follow their tastes, their needs,” Crespo said.

NEW YORK, December 4, 2017 — Value-added tax (VAT), Goods and Services Tax (GST), Airline baggage fees, fuel surcharges, hotel resort fees, online shipping options and mobile phone service fees are just a few examples of discrete pricing elements that are now the “new normal” of our shopping experience. As the practice - called partitioned pricing (PP) - becomes more widespread, new research from Ivy League Columbia Business School sheds light on how consumers react when they encounter PP.

“From regulatory efforts to pricing strategies, policy makers, researchers and marketing managers need to better understand the way that consumers evaluate and feel about partitioned pricing,” said Eric Johnson, Norman Eig Professor of Business and director of the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia Business School. “Our research identifies six different dimensions by which consumers experience partitioned pricing, and this framework can be instrumental as companies plot their competitive positioning and segmentation strategies.”

The research, entitled “The Price Does Not Include Additional Taxes, Fees, and Surcharges: A Review of Research on Partitioned Pricing”, introduces a framework that involves six interrelated stages:

Stage 1: Attention to different PP price components

If consumers don’t know of - and comprehend - the multiple pieces that compose total price, they are more likely to underestimate the total cost.

Stage 2: Attitude toward the use of PP for this product

From feelings about the fairness of surcharges to their perception of the seller, consumers come to the table with pre-conceived views about PP.

Stage 3: How consumers combine price components to form a perception of total cost

Whether people ignore surcharges or factor them into the total price, consumers arrive at an overall perception of a product’s total cost.

Stage 4: How consumers evaluate product benefits

When consumers evaluate a product, they may consider other attributes besides price, which may affect their perception of PP in overall cost.

This is the combination of stages three and four by which the consumer forms a full picture of the product.

Stage 6: Post purchase perceptions of the firm and buying experience

If consumers perceive PP to be unfair following a purchase, they will be more careful with future purchases that use PP.

The study has important practical implications for marketing managers, specifically those who seek to use PP to increase demand or reduce price sensitivity. By understanding which stages to focus on, they will want to intervene before - not after - consumers have formed perceptions on pricing.

Public policy makers, such as national and state governments, can use this framework to establish regulations to improve consumers’ understanding of PP, so long as they first understand at what stage the misunderstanding originates. Finally, consumer researchers who seek to study a certain effect of PP will want to know at what stage of the process that effect is likely to occur.

Columbia Business School is a world-class, Ivy League business school that delivers a learning experience where academic excellence meets with real-time exposure to the pulse of global business. Led by Dean Glenn Hubbard, the School’s transformative curriculum bridges academic theory with exposure to real-world business practice, equipping students with an entrepreneurial mindset that allows them to recognize, capture, and create opportunity in any business environment.

December 1, 2017

UN Security Council Considers Destruction and Trafficking of Cultural Heritage by Terrorist Groups

Photo: Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, briefs journalists following a Security Council meeting on the maintenance of international peace and security, specifically destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups and in situations of armed conflict. 30 November 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Kim Haughton.

Photo: Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), briefs the UN Security Council on the maintenance of international peace and security, specifically destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups and in situations of armed conflict. 30 November 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.

Photo: A view of the UN Security Council as Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), briefs the Security Council on the maintenance of international peace and security, specifically destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups and in situations of armed conflict. 30 November 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.

The Global Entrepreneurship Summit was held for the first time in South Asia in Hyderabad, India, from November 28-30. It was co-hosted by the Governments of the United States and India. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the summit along with Advisor to the President of the USA, Ivanka Trump, who lead the U.S. contingent to GES.

This was the eighth edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the preeminent gathering of entrepreneurs, investors, and supporters from around the world. With the theme of “Women First, Prosperity for All,” this was the first GES in which women were in the majority.

More than 10 countries were represented by an all-female delegation, including from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. A number of leading female voices, which included tennis champion Sania Mirza, spoke at various plenaries, breakout sessions, master classes, and workshops.

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 27, 2017 — Last night, Miss Universe South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was crowned the new Miss Universe at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The three-hour special programming event aired live on FOX in the United States.

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters earned her degree in Business Management at North West University. Before college, Demi-Leigh excelled at her high school as president of student council.

Now in its 66th year, MISS UNIVERSE welcomed more contestants than ever before, representing 92 countries including Iraq, Laos, Malta, and Nepal. The top 16 finalists were selected from three regions of the world: Americas, Europe, Africa & Asia Pacific. Fans once again had a virtual seat at the judging table to help their favorite contestants advance with over 90 million votes tabulated from around the world leading up to the competition, and an additional 24 million submitted throughout the final event.

Megan Olivi: UFC backstage correspondent and host of The Exchange with Megan Olivi on UFC Fight Pass; advocate of women in sports.

Lele Pons: Venezuelan-American creator and one of digital entertainment’s most recognizable figures; named one of TIME magazine’s 2016 30 Most Influential People on the Internet and Forbes’ 2017 30 Under 30 Celebrities.

"Girl…you don’t need a sash or crown to be a Miss Universe. You can be a leader in your community without having a title.” — 2017 @MissUniverse winner Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters offers advice to girls who hope to follow in her footsteps one day. pic.twitter.com/4sUjxFSShC

November 23, 2017

Photo: President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, presenting the degree certificate to a student at the 94th Annual Convocation of the University of Delhi, in New Delhi on November 18, 2017. (Image Credit: Press Information Bureau, Government of India.)

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the University of Delhi is in many ways the University of India. Every state and region of our country is represented here. Each year thousands of eager young boys and girls travel to Delhi and apply to the University of Delhi or its affiliated colleges.

“Graduating from the University of Delhi has given you a firm foundation.” “It has empowered you to achieve more and aim higher as you walk into the world outside,” the President told the new graduates.

Every state and region of our country is represented in the University of Delhi. Young students from the Northeast add to the richness and vibrancy of the University campus and of the city of Delhi #PresidentKovind

London, November 23, 2017 — Over 300 universities from India, China, Russia, South Africa and Brazil have been observed and graded for the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking, one of the global prestigious rankings.

China occupies seven of the top 10 positions in BRICS, while its Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Fudan University get the top three ranks with the country.

Unsurprisingly, China is the most represented country in this year’s ranking, followed by Russia. By contrast, only 12 South Africa universities are included, the highest-ranked of these being the University of Cape Town in 19th place - a fall of five places since last year.

As with the top 10, there is little movement in the top 50, with only four universities breaking in since last time. Those institutions are: National Research University - Higher School of Economics, Tomsk Polytechnic University (both based in Russia), Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (both Brazil).

From India, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has secured ninth rank followed by IISc, Bangalore (10), IIT Delhi (15) and IIT Madras (18).

Among India’s traditional universities, University of Delhi is at the top position within the country, followed by University of Calcutta.

• In India, the QS University Ranking BRICS 2018 edition was unveiled today at an event in New Delhi by Professor (Dr.) V.S. Chauhan, Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC).

“Role of ranking in terms of students getting to know about the institutions can’t be negated, but also sometimes overplayed. Rankings are relevant for institutions and most importantly because of the rankings what happened in India is that institutions have started to look at themselves,” said Dr. Chauhan.

“Indian education has expanded and we are trying to change a lot of regulations which are made long ago. In this there is space for rankings and the government is also realising this that the universities are a matter of prestige for the country,” he added.

Chauhan, while noting that the country is at a very early stage of its universities coming of age, said, “We will celebrate that day when of 350 universities 150 of them will be Indian institutions in the BRICS rankings.”

Based on eight performance indicators, namely academic reputation, employer reputation, proportion of staff with a PhD, faculty/student ratio, research publications, citation rates, proportion of international faculty, and proportion of international students, the ranking provides insights into the relative strengths and weaknesses of leading institutions in the five countries.

QS BRICS UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2018 — TOP 20

RANK — INSTITUTION — COUNTRY

Tsinghua University — China

Peking University — China

Fudan University — China

University of Science and Technology of China — China

Lomonosov Moscow State University — Russia

Zhejiang University — China

Shanghai Jiao Tong University — China

Nanjing University — China

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) — India

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore — India

Novosibirsk State University — Russia

Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) — Brazil

Saint Petersburg State University — Russia

Universidade de São Paulo — Brazil

Wuhan University — China

Sun Yat-sen University — China

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) — India

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) — India

University of Cape Town — South Africa

Harbin Institute of Technology — China

INSTITUTIONS FROM INDIA

QS BRICS RANK — INSTITUTION

9 — Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB)

10 — Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore

17 — Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD)

18 — Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)

21 — Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK)

24 — Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP)

41 — University of Delhi

51 — Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR)

52 — Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG)

64 — University of Calcutta

74 — Jadavpur University

82 — University of Mumbai

85 — Anna University

100 — Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad

105 — Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

108 — Indian Institute of Technology Patna

109 — Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani

114 — University of Calicut

116 — G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar

118 — Institute of Chemical Technology (UDCT), Mumbai

119 — Manipal Academy of Higher Education

122 — Sri Venkateswara University

124 — Dr. Harisingh Gour University (University of Sagar), Sagar

125 — Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) - Allahabad

126 — National Institute of Technology Rourkela

137 — Thapar University, Patiala

140 — Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University)

140 — Mangalore University, Mangalore

143 — Banaras Hindu University

144 — Symbiosis International University

148 — Bangalore University, Bangalore

150 — University of Kashmir, Srinagar

151-160 — Savitribai Phule Pune University

161-170 — Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh

161-170 — National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli

171-180 — Amity University

171-180 — Bharathidasan University

171-180 — Tezpur University

171-180 — University of Madras

181-190 — Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi

181-190 — OSMANIA UNIVERSITY

191-200 — INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (INDIAN SCHOOL OF MINES), DHANBAD

November 21, 2017

Photo: The UN Security Council and the General Assembly, meeting concurrently but independently from each other, filled the final vacancy on the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Dalveer Bhandari (India) was elected by both bodies for a nine-year term beginning on 6 February 2018, joining the four justices elected on 9 November from a list of six candidates.

Above, a view of the Security Council meeting. 20 November 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.

Photo: The UN Security Council and the General Assembly, meeting concurrently but independently from each other, filled the final vacancy on the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Dalveer Bhandari (India) was elected by both bodies for a nine-year term beginning on 6 February 2018, joining the four justices elected on 9 November from a list of six candidates.

Above, Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN and President of the Security Council for November, chairs the Council’s meeting. 20 November 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, have congratulated Justice Dalveer Bhandari on being re-elected to the International Court of Justice.

16 November 2017 - Marking the International Day for Tolerance, the head of the United Nations cultural agency underscored how tolerance must be nurtured to celebrate the diversity that makes us strong and the values that bring us together.

“Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human,” said Audrey Azoulay, the newly-appointed Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in her message on the International Day.

“Discrimination against one is discrimination against all,” she continued.

Ms. Azoulay pointed out that as globalization is accelerating across the world, societies are undergoing deep transformations, which open vast opportunities for dialogue and exchange as well as raise new challenges - sharpened by inequality and poverty, enduring conflicts and movements of people.

“We see today the rise of exclusive politics and discourses of division. We see diversity being rejected as a source of weakness,” she said.

Ms. Azoulay maintained that fuelled by ignorance and sometimes hatred, myths of “pure” lore cultures are being gloried while scapegoating and repressing people.

Also citing “barbaric terrorist attacks designed to weaken the fabric of ‘living together,’” she spotlighted the need that tolerance be more than the indifferent, passive acceptance of others.

“Tolerance must be seen as an act of liberation, whereby the differences of others are accepted as the same as our own,” stressed Ms. Azoulay.

The UN official said that that meant respecting the diversity of humanity on the basis of human rights; reaching out to others with dialogue; and standing up to all forms of racism, hatred and discrimination.

Noting that all cultures are different, she emphasized that “humanity is a single community, sharing values, a past and future.”

“There are seven billion ways of ‘being human,’ but we stand together as members of the same family, all different, all equally seeking respect for rights and dignity,” she underscored.

Ms. Azoulay termed tolerance “a struggle for peace” that calls for new policies that respect diversity and pluralism on the basis of human rights.

“Most of all,” she added, “this calls on each of us, women and men across the world, to act for tolerance in our own lives, in seeking to understand others, in rejecting all racism and hatred, including anti-Semitism.”

The UNESCO chief said its role is “to deepen the binds of a single humanity, through understanding, dialogue and knowledge,” which is why the UN agency defends humanity’s cultural diversity and heritage from pillaging and attacks.

“This is why we seek to prevent violent extremism through education, freedom of expression and media literacy, to empower young women and men. This is why we work to strengthen dialogue between cultures and religions, spearheading the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures,” she said, adding that it was also why “UNESCO’s International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities works to fight racism, discrimination, xenophobia and exclusion.”

Paris, France, 14 November 2017 — UNESCO Member States today approved continuation of the preparation of UNESCO’s Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications.

• The Convention would provide a global framework of universal principles and rules for the recognition of higher education titles, degrees, diplomas, and certificates.

The General Conference reaffirmed that the global convention will enhance international cooperation in higher education and will be a significant step forward towards global academic mobility and trust in higher education systems.

The Convention will be a major step forward for the rights of students to have their higher education qualifications assessed in a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory manner by national competent authorities. It will also strengthen cooperation in higher education among member states and enhance trust in higher education systems by ensuring quality in education in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Since its creation, UNESCO has served as a global platform for discussion on the recognition of higher education qualifications and the promotion of academic mobility.

Global academic mobility is sharply on the increase with the overall population of mobile students doubling since 2002. Today more than 4 million students study outside their home country and it is estimated that by 2020 around 8 million students will be studying abroad.

This significant growth in mobile tertiary students calls for a global regulatory framework for the recognition of higher education qualifications. This framework will reduce the obstacles faced by students, teachers, researchers and job-seekers within and outside their countries of origin.

November 13, 2017

Audrey Azoulay of France appointed Director-General of UNESCO

Photo: Audrey Azoulay, the newly appointed Director-General of UNESCO. Here she is seen speaking to journalists at the United Nations when she was the Minister for Culture and Communication of France. 24 March 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Manuel Elias.

The General Conference of UNESCO has appointed Audrey Azoulay (France) to the post of Director-General of the Organization. Ms Azoulay was nominated on 13 October to take the place of outgoing Director-General Irina Bokova (Bulgaria) by UNESCO’s Executive Board.

The President of the 39th session of the General Conference Zohour Alaoui, congratulated the new Director-General at the end of a vote that endorsed the choice of the Executive Board.

“I now think of all the people I met in recent months, or had met in my various professional capacities, who have great expectations from UNESCO,” declared Ms Azoulay to the General Conference. “I think of UNESCO’s mandate, which is strikingly modern. I think of all of you who are aware of the difficulties of the Organization but who know that it is irreplaceable, that it is essential, in facing current global challenges and who aspire to the unity and serenity necessary to let it exercise its mandate to best effect.”

Ms Azoulay was France’s Minister of Culture and Communication from February 2016 to May 2017. She has occupied senior positions in France’s public broadcasting sector and then served as rapporteur to France’s public auditing authority, the Cour des comptes, and as a European Commission legislative expert on issues of culture and the media.

Ms Azoulay served France’s National Cinema Centre (CNC), first as Deputy Audiovisual Director, then as Director of Financial and Legal Affairs, and finally as Deputy Director-General. She is a graduate of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration and the Paris Institut d’études politiques. Ms Azoulay also holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Lancaster (UK).

Ms Azoulay is the 11th Director-General of UNESCO and the second woman to occupy this position. She will take office on 15 November.

New York, NY - The Miss Universe Organization has announced that the 66TH MISS UNIVERSE competition will take place live from The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV, on Sunday, Nov. 26 on FOX.

Five-time Emmy Award winner Steve Harvey returns to the Miss Universe stage, marking the third time that the multi-talented personality will host the international competition.

Nearly 100 women from across the globe will travel to compete for the opportunity of becoming the next Miss Universe. Iris Mittenaere from France will crown her successor at the conclusion of the live three-hour event.

India will be represented by Shraddha Shashidhar from the city of Chennai.

Here is the list of the contestants:

COUNTRY — HOMETOWN — NAME

Albania — Tirana — Blerta Leka

Angola — Cabinda — Lauriela Martins

Argentina — Buenos Aires — Stefanía Incandela

Aruba — Malmok — Alina Mansur

Australia — Adelaide — Olivia Rogers

Austria — Gänserndorf — Celine Schrenk

Bahamas — Nassau — Yasmine Cooke

Barbados — Bridgetown — Lesley Chapman-Andrews

Belgium — Bassevelde — Liesbeth Claus

Bolivia — Pando — Gleisy Noguer Hassen

Brazil — Teresina - Piaui — Monalysa Alcântara

British Virgin Islands — British Virgin Islands — Khephra Sylvester

Bulgaria — Sofia — Nikoleta Todorova

Cambodia — Phnom Penh — By Sotheary

Canada — Toronto — Lauren Howe

Cayman Islands — West Bay — Anika Conolly

Chile — Santiago — Natividad Leivi

China — Shenyang — Roxette Qiu

Colombia — Cartagena de Indias — Laura González

Costa Rica — Heredia — Elena Correa

Croatia — Slavonski Brod — Shanaelle Petty

Curaçao — Willemstad — Nashaira Balentien

Czech republic — Zlin — Michaela Habáňová

Domican Republic — Santiago De Los Caballeros — Carmen Muñoz

Ecuador — Guayaquil — Daniela Cepeda

Egypt — Cairo — Farah Sedky

El Salvador — San Salvador — Alisson Abarca

Ethiopia — Addis Ababa — Akinahome Zergaw

Finland — Helsinki — Michaela Söderholm

France — Paris — Alicia Aylies

Georgia — Rustavi — Miriam Gogodze

Germany — Halle — Sophia Koch

Ghana — Ajumako Entumire — Ruth Quarshie

Great Britain — Leicester — Anna Burdzy

Guam — Tomuning — Myana Welch

Guatemala — Ayutla, San Marcos — Isel Suñiga

Guyana — Essequibo Coast — Rafieya Husain

Haiti — Port-au-Prince — Cassandra Chery

Honduras — Roatan — April Tobie

Iceland — Kopavogur — Arna Ýr Jónsdóttir

India — Chennai — Shraddha Shashidhar

Indonesia — Jakarta — Bunga Jelitha

Iraq — Baghdad — Sarah Idan

Ireland — Cobh, County Cork — Cailín Áine Ní Toibín

Israel — Ashkelon — Adar Gandelsman

Italy — Naples — Maria Polverino

Jamaica — Mitchell Town, Clarendon — Davina Bennett

Japan — Japan — Momoko Abe

Kazakhstan — Almaty — Kamila Assilova

Korea — Seoul — Cho SeWhee

Laos — Vientiane — Souphaphone Somvichith

Lebanon — Saida — Jana Sader

Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur — Samantha James

Malta — Attard — Tiffany Pisani

Mauritius — Curepipe — Angie Callychurn

México — Sinaloa — Denisse Franco

Myanmar — Yangon — Zun Than Sin

Namibia — Rehoboth — Suné January

Nepal — Kathmandu — Nagma Shrestha

Netherlands — Handel — Nicky Opheij

New Zealand — Napier — Harlem-Cruz Atarangi Ihaia

Nicaragua — El Rama — Berenice Quezada

Nigeria — Neni — Stephanie Agbasi

Norway — Kongsvinger — Kaja Kojan

Panama — City of Panama — Laura de Sanctis

Paraguay — Asuncion — Ariela Machado

Perú — Piura — Prissila Howard

Philippines — Camarines Sur — Rachel Peters

Poland — Wrocław — Katarzyna Włodarek

Portugal — Setúbal — Matilde Lima

Puerto Rico — San Juan — Danna Hernández

Romania — Constanta — Ioana Mihalache

Russia — Moscow — Kseniya Alexandrova

Saint Lucia — Micoud — Louise Victor

Sierra Leone — Freetown — Adama Kargbo

Singapore — Singapore — Manuela Bruntraeger

Slovak Republic — Bratislava — Vanessa Bottánová

Slovenia — Ptuj — Emina Ekić

South Africa — Sedgefield, Western Cape — Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters

Spain — Villarrobledo — Sofia del Prado

Sri Lanka — Colombo — Christina Peiris

Sweden — Gothenburg — Frida Fornander

Tanzania — Dar Es Salaam — Lilian Ericaah Maraule

Thailand — Bangkok — Maria Poonlertlarp

Trinidad & Tobago — San Fernando — Yvonne Clarke

Turkey — Izmir — Pinar Tartan

Ukraine — Kiev — Yana Krasnikova

Uruguay — Canelones — Marisol Acosta

US Virgin Islands — Charlotte Amalie, St.Thomas — Esonica Veira

USA — Washington D.C. — Kára McCullough

Venezuela — Caracas — Keysi Sayago

Vietnam — Thai Binh — Loan Nguyen

Zambia — Chingola — Isabel Chikoti

The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a global community that empowers women to realize their goals through experiences that build self-confidence and create opportunities for success. MUO believes that every woman should be “Confidently Beautiful.”

The Miss Universe Organization and the brand is currently owned by IMG, a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, operating in more than 30 countries.

Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), a unit of 21st Century Fox, is home to some of the highest-rated and most acclaimed series on television, including EMPIRE, THE MICK, LETHAL WEAPON, LUCIFER, GOTHAM, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, NEW GIRL, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, STAR, THE EXORCIST, THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY, and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.

While “Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino” is the centerpiece of the famed Las Vegas Strip, with 2,500 beautifully redesigned guest rooms and suites showcasing some of the best views in town, along with endless options of unparalleled shopping, distinguished dining, popular entertainment and a bustling nightlife.

Berlin, November 9, 2017. At the Comic Opera in Berlin this evening, the German “GQ Gentlemen’s Quarterly” style magazine handed out the 19th “GQ Men of the Year Awards.” At the festive gala, honors were awarded in ten categories to leading personalities.

November 1, 2017

UN Secretary-General Meets President of International Criminal Court

Photo: UN Secretary-General, António Guterres (right), meets with Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court (ICC). 30 October 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Evan Schneider.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) [Not to be confused with the International Court of Justice (ICJ)] is an intergovernmental organization that sits in The Hague in the Netherlands. The ICC is intended to complement existing national judicial systems. It exercises its jurisdiction only when certain conditions are met, such as when national courts are unwilling or unable to prosecute criminals.

October 31, 2017

Photo: A building in Dubai. Dubai has just been designated UNESCO Creative City of Design. Image Credit: Xiquinho Silva.

Paris, France, 31 October 2017 — 64 cities from 44 countries have been designated as UNESCO Creative Cities by the UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova. They join a Network at the frontline of UNESCO’s efforts to foster innovation and creativity as key drivers for a more sustainable and inclusive urban development. This network attracts growing interest from local authorities.

“These new designations showcase an enhanced diversity in city profiles and geographical balance, with 19 cities from countries not previously represented in the Network” declared the Director-General. She added, “The cooperation framework proposed to foster candidate cities from the Africa region - a UNESCO Global Priority - has been a true success with 9 African cities now joining the Network.”

Since 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network highlights its members’ creativity within seven fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. It now counts a total of 180 cities in 72 countries.

While differing geographically, demographically or economically, all Creative Cities commit to develop and exchange innovative best practices to promote creative industries, strengthen participation in cultural life, and integrate culture into sustainable urban development policies.

From India, Chennai has been designated as UNESCO Creative City of Music. Mumbai, a strong contender for the prestigious “UNESCO Creative City of Films” designation, has missed out on its chance.

The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, had proposed to send dossiers for Chennai (for music), and Mumbai (for films). While the dossier to support Chennai was submitted by the government in time, dossier for Mumbai could not be sent ahead of the June 16 deadline set by the UNESCO Secretariat.

Photo: A Music and Dance event in Chennai. Image Credit: TEDx Chennai.

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has congratulated people of Chennai on inclusion of Chennai in the UNESCO creative Cities Network.

The Prime Minister said, “Congratulations to the people of Chennai on the city’s inclusion in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its rich musical tradition. Chennai’s contribution to our rich culture is precious. This is a proud moment for India.”

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Congratulations to the people of Chennai on the city’s inclusion in the @UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its rich musical tradition. Chennai’s contribution to our rich culture is precious. This is a proud moment for India: PM @narendramodi

October 28, 2017

International Press Institute (IPI) urges India Government to withdraw a Controversial Ordinance

Photo: Participants at an event to mark the World Press Freedom Day at Palais des Nations, United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland. United Nations, Geneva. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré.

Vienna, Austria, Oct 27, 2017 — The government of the Indian state of Rajasthan must reverse an ordinance, which, in the absence of a government-sanctioned criminal investigation, bars the media from covering allegations of wrongdoing involving public officials. This was stated today by the International Press Institute (IPI) in letters sent to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

The ordinance requires courts and law enforcement agencies to obtain government approval before investigating public officials, judges, and magistrates for alleged wrongdoing committed in the course of carrying out public duties.

Here are the excerpts from the letter —

Oct 27, 2017

Mr. Narendra ModiPrime Minister of IndiaSouth BlockNew DelhiIndia.

Dear Prime Minister,

The International Press Institute (IPI) is deeply concerned by the issuance of an ordinance under the Constitution of India by the Governor of the State of Rajasthan, amending the Criminal Laws Act of the State, on the advice of the Government of Rajasthan.

The ordinance, which claims to protect public servants, judges and magistrates facing “false” allegations of corruption and criminality, prohibits the media from publishing any report on such allegations, even when accompanied by evidence, until an appropriate authority of the Government has considered the complaints and given sanction for the initiation of prosecution proceedings.

The concerned authority has been given a time limit of six months to take a decision on whether to prosecute or not to prosecute. Until then, media outlets are completely prohibited from writing any details on the allegations ……………..

IPI strongly condemns the gagging of the press through this ordinance. The measure, signed by the Governor of Rajasthan on the advice of the Government of Rajasthan, violates Art. 19 of the Indian Constitution, which enshrines freedom of expression …………….

Eminent jurists, journalists and journalist organisations as well as senior political leaders have strongly opposed the ordinance and have called for its immediate withdrawal …………..

Mr. Prime Minister, you recounted recently how you had participated in the political struggle against the censorship of newspapers during the Emergency which was in force in India between 1975 and 1977. In this same spirit, IPI calls upon you to intervene with the Government of Rajasthan, and direct the state Government to immediately negate the ordinance through the Constitutional route, and withdraw the bill now under consideration by the State Assembly.

Such an action would demonstrate your commitment to freedom of the press, and would ensure that acts of corruption and criminality are not shielded behind the curtain of censorship.

Yours sincerely,

Barbara TrionfiExecutive DirectorInternational Press Institute

……………………………………………………….

|GlobalGiants.Com|

The editor of GlobalGiants.Com, incidentally, is a member of the International Press Institute (IPI).

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2017 — U.S. News & World Report, a global authority in education rankings for more than 30 years, today released the 2018 Best Global Universities rankings. The overall rankings evaluate 1,250 universities - up from 1,000 last year - across 74 countries and are the largest and most comprehensive assessment of research universities worldwide.

The U. S. leads the rankings again this year, with 221 universities making the overall list. The top four spots are held by U.S. schools, with Harvard University at No. 1. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology comes in at No. 2, followed by Stanford University at No. 3 and the University of California—Berkeley at No. 4. The United Kingdom’s University of Oxford rounds out the top 5.

Behind the U.S., the following countries have the most ranked institutions out of the 1,250 schools on the overall list:

China: 136, Japan: 76, U.K.: 73, Germany: 58

Across the 22 subject-specific rankings, U.S. schools again claim the most No. 1 spots. For the first time, China’s Tsinghua University replaces MIT as No. 1 in computer science and once again tops the list for engineering. Listed in rank order, these countries performed the best in the following subject rankings:

“The schools that rank the highest in the Best Global Universities rankings are those that emphasize academic research, including by partnering with international scholars to produce highly cited articles,” said Robert Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News. “This is different from the Best Colleges rankings, which measure the overall quality of undergraduate institutions in the U.S. and focus on student outcomes such as graduation and retention rates.”

For the 2018 edition, U.S. News made a slight change to the methodology to further emphasize international collaboration at universities by rewarding schools that author articles with researchers from different countries.

The Best Global Universities methodology - which is based on Web of Science data and metrics provided by Clarivate Analytics InCites - weighs factors that measure a university’s global and regional research reputation and academic research performance. For the overall rankings, this includes bibliometric indicators such as publications, citations and international collaboration. Each subject ranking has its own methodology based on academic research performance and reputation in that specific area.

“For more than 30 years, U.S. News has been committed to making higher education data more accessible to prospective students choosing a U.S. university,” said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News. “The Best Global Universities rankings similarly allow consumers to accurately evaluate and compare international schools to find the right fit for them, based on available data.”

2018 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities

Overall Best Global Universities - Top 10

Harvard University (U.S.)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (U.S.)

Stanford University (U.S.)

University of California—Berkeley (U.S.)

University of Oxford (U.K.)

California Institute of Technology (U.S.)

University of Cambridge (U.K.)

Columbia University (U.S.)

Princeton University (U.S.)

Johns Hopkins University (U.S.) (tie)

University of Washington (U.S.) (tie)

Yale University (U.S.) (tie)

Africa - Top 5

University of Cape Town (South Africa)

University of Witwatersrand (South Africa)

University of KwaZulu Natal (South Africa)

Stellenbosch University (South Africa)

Cairo University (Egypt)

Asia - Top 5

National University of Singapore

Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)

University of Tokyo (Japan)

Tsinghua University (China)

Peking University (China)

Australia/New Zealand - Top 5

University of Melbourne (Australia)

University of Sydney

University of Queensland Australia

Monash University (Australia)

Australian National University (tie)

University of New South Wales (tie)

Europe - Top 5

University of Oxford (U.K.)

University of Cambridge (U.K.)

Imperial College London

University College London

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Switzerland)

Latin America - Top 5

University of São Paulo (Brazil)

Pontificia University Católica de Chile

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)

State University of Campinas (Brazil)

The Best Global Universities rankings serve the broader U.S. News mission to provide trusted information and rankings to help all students navigate their higher education options - including with the Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools and Best Online Programs rankings. For Chinese students in particular, U.S. News offers online resource centers published in Chinese to help guide prospective undergraduate and graduate students interested in studying abroad. In addition, U.S. News is continuing to collaborate with U.S. News Global Education, a subsidiary company of Shorelight Education, to help international students and their families connect with universities.